Mid Derbyshire MP Pauline Latham brought up the issue of the soiling of green spaces in Oakwood by Travellers on Monday 17th July in Parliament, in a bid to try and draw attention to the damage done and prevent further such instances occurring.
Speaking in Communities and Local Government Questions she asked: “What steps has the Department taken to provide safe and legal spaces in which Travellers can reside, instead of them having to go on really nice green spaces in Oakwood in Derbyshire, which they leave in a terrible mess?”
In response Alok Sharma, Minister of State for the Department for Communities and Local Government, said: “I know from my own constituency that unauthorised encampments can cause distress for local communities. The Government are absolutely committed to reducing the number of unauthorised sites by providing affordable, good-quality accommodation for Travellers.”
Commenting afterwards Pauline said: “The mess left by Travellers in Oakwood was appalling, and it is simply unfair that people can come and ruin the local area and then disappear without suffering any consequences.”
“It is to the credit of my constituents that they formed a human barricade to prevent Travellers who had damaged the land returning – and they displayed commendable Derbyshire grit in the process by doing so – but it should not be necessary for them to have to act in the first place. As such, I felt urged to raise this issue in Parliament, having already written to Alok Sharma about this situation – and what could be done to improve it – previously.”